Shower head nozzle



Jan. 23, 1951 J. E. STOTT 2,539,041

SHOWER HEAD NOZZLE Filed Feb. 23, 1949 Patented Jan. 23, l95l UNETESATES PATENT OFFICE John Stott, Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada AppiicationFebruary 23, 1949, Serial No. 77,913

4 Claims.

This invention relates to nozzles for delivering a spray, and moreparticularly to nozzles adapted for use as shower heads and embodyingmeans for controlling the iiow of water therefrom.

An object of this invention is to provide a shower head incorporatingmeans to produce a conical spray of water, the thickness of which at thepoint of issue may be varied by a simple and efiicient form of control.A hollow curtain of water of conical form is ideally adapted for theproduction of fine drops, which form when the film thickness of theconical curtain decreases, as a result of its increasing area, to thepoint where the surface tension fails to maintain a solid curtain. Theinvention therefore utilizes the hydraulic formation of drops to producea fine spray, rather than employing mechanical means of breaking up theflow.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shower head by whichthe flow of water may be accurately controlled over a wide range, downto the point where the flow is shut off, without adversely affecting thecharacter of the spray.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a shower head whichmay be controlled from a point which is above the spray and isconsequently subject to easy access without the necessity for the userto come in contact with the spray while turning on or controlling theflow of water from the shower head.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,wherein like characters of reference indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the shower head;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view let; and

Fig. 3 is a top view, partly in section, showing the construction of theflow-adjusting cap.

The shower head illustrated comprises a casing IE! provided with aninlet pipe II which enters the side of the casing I0. Threaded on to theouter end of the inlet pipe I I is an apertured ball I2 which is adaptedto be received within the usual type of socket sleeve to allowadjustability of the shower head on a pipe leading from the watersupply. The upper portion of the easing I0 is internally threaded toreceive the enlarged upper portion I3 of a vertical sleeve I3. The upperportion I3 is of greater diameter than the sleeve I3 proper and isexternally looking toward the outthreaded to engage the internallythreaded casing It so that the sleeve I3 extends axially downward anddefines an annular flow channel within the casing.

The lower end of the casing ill is provided with a circular outlet I4having a divergingly tapered cone-forming annular surface I5, so shapedas to permit smooth, uninterrupted flow of water therethrough. The taperof the surface I5 is preferably such that the included angle isapproximately 40.

The sleeve I3 is internally threaded to receive a stem it which isexternally threaded for a portion of its length and which is providedwith a head I5 The head It has a divergingly tapered annular surface Itextending from the stem It to meet a divergingly tapered curtainformingannular surface H. The annular surface l'I faces the annular surface I5in the outlet I l and defines therewith an annular curtain-formingaperture.

A packing ring I8 within the sleeve i3 surrounds the stem I6 and is heldin place by a packing gland nut I9 threaded into the upper portion I3 ofthe sleeve I3. Above the sleeve I3 the stem I6 is provided with a flatportion I6 and the upper portion 13 of the sleeve I3 has an annularflange I3 which engages an inner groove on an adjusting cap 23. An innersleeve 2I, secured to the adjusting cap it, is adapted to receive and toengage slidably but not rotatably the flattened upper portion Ific ofthe stem I6.

Control of the rate of flow and drop size is achieved by rotation of theadjusting cap 20 which causes the threaded stem It to be turned by thesleeve 2|, and advances or retracts the stem in the sleeve I3. The sizeof the annular aperture between the tapered surface I5 of the outlet I4and the tapered surface I? on the head Iii may thereby be convenientlyvaried from a point where the surfaces I5 and I! are in contact and theflow is shut-off to a predetermined maximum size. A conical curtain ofwater having any desired film thickness at the point of issue maytherefore be obtained.

Since the size of drops produced by the breaking up of the water curtainas its area increases depends upon the film thickness of the curtain ofwater flowing between the tapered surfaces I5 and I1, it will be seenthat the drop size may be conveniently varied over a wide range toachieve the desired type of spray. The location of the adjusting tap 20is such that it may be easily 3 adjusted without the user coming incontact with the spray, when such is desired.

It is thought that the construction and use of the invention will beapparent from the above description of the various parts and theirpurpose. It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewithshown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the sameand that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention orthe scope of the subjoinecl claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A nozzle for shower heads and the like comprising, a casing formedwith a water inlet in the side thereof and having an internally threadedupper portion, a water outlet in the lower end of the casing, aninternall threaded sleeve disposed within the casing and defining withthe said casing a flow channel, an externally threaded stem threadedwithin the sleeve and adapted to extend co-axially throughv the outlet,the aid stem having an upper portion extending above the casing, a headon the lower end of the stern, and a flow-adjusting cap secured to thesleeve and slidably but not rotatably engaging the upper portion of thestern whereby the stem may be turned to achieve selected positions ofaxial adjustment of the head with respect to the outlet in the casing,one of the sleeves and the cap having an annular groove and the otherhaving an annular rib rotatably engaging the annular groove.

2. A nozzle for shower heads and the like comprising, a casing formedwith a water inlet in the side thereof and having an internally threadedupper portion, a water outlet in the lower end of the casing, aninternally and externally threaded sleeve threaded within the upperportion of the casing and extending downwardly to define with the saidcasing an annular flow channel, the said sleeve having an annularouter'rio at the top thereof, an externally threaded stem threadedwithin the sleeve and adapted to extend (Jo-axially through the outlet,the aid stem having a flattened upper portion extending above thecasing, a head on the lower end of the stem, and a flow-adjusting caphaving an inner annular groove near the periphery thereof rotatablyengaging the outer rib on the sleeve, the said flow-adjustin capslidably but not rotatably engagin the upper portion of the stem wherebythe stem may be turned to achieve selected positions of axialadjustmentbf the head with respect to the outlet in the casing.

3. A nozzle for shower heads and the like comprising, a casing formedwith a water inlet in the side thereof and having an internally threadedupper portion, a water out-let in the lower end of the casing, aninternally and externally threaded sleeve threaded within the upperportion of the ca ing and extending downwardly to define with the saidcasing an annular fiow channel, the said sleeve having an annular outerrib at the top thereof, an externally threaded stem threaded within thesleeve and adapted to extend co-axially through the outlet, the saidstem having a flattened upper portion extending above the casing, a headon the lower end of the stem, and a flow-adjusting cap having an innerannular groove near the periphery thereof rotatably engaging the outerrib on the sleeve, the said flowadjusting cap also having a centralsleeve slidably but not rotatably engaging the upper portion of the stemwhereby the stem may be turned to achieve selected positions of axialadjustment of the head with respect to the outlet in the casing.

4. A nozzle for shower heads and the like comprising, a casing formedwith a water inlet in the side thereof and having an internally threadeduppe portion, -a water outlet in the lower end of the casing, aninternally and externally threaded sleeve threaded within the upperportion of the casing and extending downwardly to define with the saidcasing an annular flow channel, the said sleeve having an annular outerrib at the top thereof, an externally threaded stem threaded within thesleeve and adapted to extend co-axially through the outlet, the saidstem having a. flattened upper portion extending above the casing, ahead on the lower end of the stem, a flow-adjustin cap havin aninnerannular groove near the periphery thereof totatably'engaging the outerrib on the'sleeve, and a vertical sleeve connected to the inside of thecap and having an inner flattened portion slidably engaging the :upperportion of the stern whereby the stem may be turned toachieve selected.positions of axial adjustment of the head with respect to the outlet inthe casing.

JOHN E. STOTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

. UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 353,068 Janotte Nov, 23, 18861,685,465 Sperryn Sept/25, 1928 1,892,344 Huber- Dec. 27, 1932

